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This colorful and extra creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka is the perfect summer twist on a classic Italian pasta. Fresh pasta tossed in a spicy cherry tomato vodka sauce that’s creamy and so delicious! The secret to this one pot pasta…sweet summer cherry tomatoes, plenty of basil, and lots of cheese on top. The fresh tomatoes add a vibrant layer of flavor and richness to this simple pasta. Serve this family style dinner up any night of the week. It’s delicious and looks pretty on any table…not to mention that everyone LOVES a GOOD creamy vodka pasta.
Hey there, hoping everyone’s weekend was amazing and filled with fun, late summer activities, and some very delicious food. We had a pretty laid back weekend with family in town. I cooked a lot, did some online shopping damage, wrote a crazy long Nine Favorite Things post, and thought about how excited I am to be able to tell you about this pasta today.
This is the summer pasta alla vodka recipe we all really need. Its inspiration came from a very unexpected source – Asher. She asked me if I could make pasta alla vodka for dinner one night soon. And while at first I said no, alla vodka is such a fall/winter recipe, I started to think, “what if we made it summery?”.
And that’s just what I did, and here we are. Cherry tomato pasta alla vodka…inspired by Asher but loved and happily consumed by all.
The details are simple – first the tomatoes
For this alla vodka you’ll need lots of cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are my favorite, but especially in the summertime. They’re juicy, sweet, and always so full of flavor. It’s rare when you get a bad one.
Since I love their sweet flavor so much, I knew they’d be great to use in this pasta.
I’d recommend using mostly red cherry tomatoes for a nicely colored sauce, but colored tomatoes work well too.
To make the sauce
Just like a traditional vodka sauce, this sauce is really, really easy, and essentially just a one skillet recipe.
Start by cooking the shallots until soft, then toss in the tomatoes, lots of garlic, fresh oregano, and plenty of chili flakes to give it some kick. You’ll want to cook the tomatoes over a high heat until they burst. Once the tomatoes burst, let them cook until they almost start to stick to the bottom of the pan. This will intensive the flavors of the tomatoes.
Now that the tomatoes are saucy, I like to puree about half them in a blender to create a smooth sauce. You can skip this if you prefer, but I love the creaminess of a mostly pureed sauce.
At this point, it’s time to add the vodka and finish things up.
The final touches
While the sauce is cooking boil off the pasta. When the sauce is ready, toss the pasta with the sauce along with a few pats of butter, parmesan cheese, and basil.
Stir until creamy. Immediately serve the pasta hot off the stove with plenty of extra parmesan and basil on top.
A little lemon would be delicious too!
Asher was lucky enough to eat this hot off the stove and her honest verdict? “Delicious, really, really good, can I have another bowl?”.
If you follow along on Instagram, you know that Asher does not sugarcoat a thing. If she loves something, she LOVES it. And if she doesn’t love something, well, she’s going to tell you the cold hard truth.
Fortunately for all of us, this turned out so very good. Like roll your eyes back, go for that second bowl, and finish the pasta all in one sitting, GOOD. Dramatic, but true.
Every bowl of this pasta is creamy, just oh so slightly spicy, with a subtle touch of basil, and just the right amount of butter and cheese.
This would make a great dinner party meal with a side salad and some bread. I usually keep it simple with something like my 5 Ingredient Beer Bread or Salted Butter Parker House Rolls.
Looking for other cherry tomato recipes, try these:
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Cherry Tomatoes
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata + Toast
Lastly, if you make this Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 532 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups cherry tomatoes, halved if large
- 1/2 cup vodka
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until the shallots begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and chili flakes. Cook 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat. Blend about half the tomatoes in a blender until smooth, stir the tomato sauce back into the skillet.2. Place the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the vodka, cook 2 minutes, then stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.4. Add the pasta, butter, parmesan, and basil to the sauce, tossing until the butter has melted. 5. Divide the pasta among plates and top with basil and cheese. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on August 9, 2021
This was awesome. I’ve been suffering from inspiration deficit in the kitchen so when this easy recipe popped up on my feed I was ready to give it a try. Boozy pasta – who knew?! And it’s a very flexible & forgiving dish ?
Hey Carol,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was awesome. I’ve been suffering from inspiration deficit in the kitchen so when this easy recipe popped up on my feed I was ready to give it a try. Boozy pasta – who knew?! And it’s a very flexible & forgiving dish ?
Hey Carol,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this exactly per the recipe except with a mix of chopped heirloom tomatoes from my garden, including a lot of yellow ones, so it was a soft orange color. I used my immersion blender to puree them somewhat, instead of messing with the blender. It was delicious, and it was just as easy as described. I will definitely make this again.
Hey Rose,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Really great!! Loved this recipe! I definitely did not add as much red chili pepper flakes and it was still plenty spicy! It smelled great as it sautéed! Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Hey Mikalya,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan!
Thanks again for a great recipe! May I ask a question? (I asked in IG”stories”, but I want to here also just in case I miss it or perhaps someone else has the same question?)
I am a non alcohol drinker (bio dad is an alcoholic), so I don’t know a whole lot about vodka other than it’s a great medium for “painting” on buttercream and fondant, lol, because no flavour, scent, etc. So here’s the question:
->If vodka has no scent, flavour, or whatever… what is it adding to this dish? I assume the alcohol burns off as a wine would so that’s not the issue, just so curious about the lack of taste.
Thanks very much, again for the recipe, and also the answer to my question!
You could leave it out or replace it with chicken broth… just an idea.. I made it tonight and couldn’t taste the alcohol at all. It burns off but it adds a little punch to the sauce.
Hey Penni,
The vodka really just adds a depth of flavor to the tomatoes, but you can also use water or broth here. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Loved the recipe, but will skip the chili flakes the next time I make this. It was too spicy for my littles but they still ate it though they felt they were on fire. Ha Ha!
Hey Crystal,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Picking up some cherry tomatoes this weekend at the farmers market EXCLUSIVELY to try this out! Thanks, Teagan!
I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan
Why a great idea to use the lovely summer tomatoes. It on my list! ?x
Thanks so much Kelly-Jane! xTieghan
Feel like I scored with this one, Teagan. Delicious with my (mostly) homegrown tomatoes, I actually like the look of my (gluten free) pasta better than yours. Will post in Insta as I can’t see a way to attach my photo here. Inspired once again, thank you! (I do not know how you answer every post!)
Hey Kate,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Love this recipe, so easy.
I didn’t have vodka but I added sriracha hot sauce. Definitely a new family favorite!
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is divine! What a flavorful and easy recipe! Yeah a use for all those cherry tomatoes in the garden! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Kim,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this tonight and the whole family loved it. I didn’t really make any changes, just increased the amounts for a bigger sauce. And added more cheese than called for (we’re cheese freaks). The fresh basil and tomatoes really put this dish over the top. Thanks for the recipe!
This looks incredible! Any suggestions for substitutions if I don’t want to use the vodka? Pasta water…? Thanks in advance!
Hey Christy,
Thanks so much! Yes, you can use water or broth! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I haven’t tried it yet but I do plan on it soon sounds good has my mouth watering. Ron
Hey Ronald,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Can you use canned tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes?
Hey Adrienne,
Yes, that will work just fine for you. I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
One of way to make any pasta vodka sauce is to cooked broccoli florets to the sauce. I do this year round.
I hope you love the recipe!